Moving with Kids
Moving in general involves a lot of coordination, changes and new things for children. Many children want to be a part of the big move, even on moving day. However, it is best if you make other arrangements for your children on moving day, since there are safety concerns when children are involved. Reasons why kids should be elsewhere on moving day:
Large moving items like dressers and other items are out in the open and could easily tip over
You may be distracted and unable to keep a close eye on your children
Younger children can get underfoot and pose a danger to movers
Small moving supply items such as tape and Styrofoam can create a choking hazard to young children
If you have never moved, your children may have some worries about what is going to happen. There are several things you can do as a parent to make the move more comfortable for them. You can drive them by the new home, and even take them inside to see where they are going. You can have them draw pictures of what they want their new room to look like and how they want it decorated. One of the best suggestions we receive from our families who move is to set up the child’s room immediately. This gives them a sense of comfort amidst all of the changes. Explain the moving process to them in advance and find out what questions they have as well as what they think will happen. This will help you get everything out in the open and dealt with. Some other fun things to do include having your children pack some of their own items as well as keeping some special items out that they can keep with them. Have your children label and decorate their boxes with paints or other coloring items. This will also make it easy for the movers to tell which boxes belong to the kids. There are some lasting impressions you can do with your kids to make them comfortable with the move and see the move as a positive life change.
Take a picture of their old room so they can have that as a memory
Leave a cute note for the new occupants and let your child hide it
Say goodbye to your old house and hello to your new one
Moving with kids doesn’t have to be hard or scary for them if you take the appropriate steps to make it seamless and keep them involved.